Fate's Phoenix

Disclaimer: I love Card Captor Sakura, but sadly I do not own it. My use of it's characters is purely for fun. (Though if Clamp happens to read this and think it is brilliant... well that would be great too. XD) Anyway... I am poor, so no suing. Thank you. :)

Summary: Read within... I am not spoiling it for you. :3

Key:

- Dream State - , Flashback , ' thoughts ', " Dialogue "

Rating: T

Pairings: Sakura/Eriol

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The next morning, things did not seem to have gotten any better. Sakura awoke with the distinct sensation that Eriol had been lying to her the previous day which only concerned her further.

Then, of course, Nakuru burst into her guest-room.

"Sakura-san! It's horrible!" The guardian gushed, rushing to the bed and shaking the barely awake young woman rather violently.

"Aug... Nakuru, I'm getting dizzy." Sakura managed.

Nakuru stopped shaking her, and settled for pacing about the room. "Oh, what are we going to do..."

Sakura rubbed her aching head and stared murderously at the brunette. "What are you talking about?"

"Eriol has up and vanished!" Nakuru said in dispair, throwing her hands up. "He's not in his room or any of the other rooms, oh Sakura what are we going to do!"

Sakura frowned thoughtfully then got to her feet. "Don't you worry Nakuru... I'll use my magic to find him. He probably isn't far..."

Nakuru's eyes light up, "Really? You'd do that?"

Sakura smiled at the guardian's easy change of emotion. "Sure... what else are my powers for?"

Nakuru bounced around and applauded while Sakura got changed into regular clothing.

-----

Sakura shut the glass door behind herself and stared out into the expansive gardens that surrounded the mansion. Her magic was leading her outside. It was all very soothing, wandering through the flowering blossoms and trees as she searched for his aura with her own, and she was glad she'd convinced Nakuru to stay inside and wait for her to return... she needed the relaxation from the jarring wake-up call she'd been given.

After a few more minutes of searching, she found him by a riverbed, surrounded by tall sycamore trees.

"There you are." Sakura smiled, announcing her presence.

The young man sighed, "Figures... you tell someone you don't want to be bothered and they intervene anyway"

Sakura frowned and sat down beside him. "For all the promising you did last night... you sure don't sound fine to me" she observed.

Eriol turned to her, looking about the same as he had the previous evening. Sighing, he removed his glasses and cleaned them idly with his shirt.

"Sakura, there's something I should have told you... a long time ago" he began.

Sakura looked fiercely interested, "You know you can tell me anything, Eriol."

He replaced his glaces and gave her a wounded expression. "I... I'm afraid that you are going to hate me" he confessed.

Sakura half-grinned, "Oh come on... I don't think you could say anything that bad" she teased.

Eriol took a deep breath and, eyes locked on the grass in front of him, began his tale.

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"Once upon a time... there was a little boy who dreamed. He wasn't very old yet, and had no recourse to speech, but in his dreams words were unnecessary.

He had the same dream for years. A little girl, with short auburn hair... and bright, interested emerald eyes. She was an enigma to the little boy. He knew not her name... nor why he dreamt of her... yet there she was, dancing across his mind.

She chased a half a dozen lights across a grassy plain. As he grew older, the lights became spirits, and the spirits became cards.

He felt so close to that little girl... that there wasn't a nightmare in the world she couldn't chase away from his dreaming soul. Even after such nightmares seemed to be commonplace.

He came to understand that his nightmares were not as scary as he painted them. That they were merely warnings... an ancient spirit within himself, trying to get his message to the present.

And that little girl, became his strength, he counted on her to brighten the darkness of his nights. He didn't want any part of the darkness... but it was necessary... and he found he could tolerate it for as long as she continued to dance across his mind.

So young... that little boy, who already had massive amounts of potential to cast magicks that none so young had ever managed before.

One night, before bed, a fairy came to him. She told the little boy that he could have anything... anything in the whole wide world that he desired, if only he would, in return, cast his magic under her command.

So young... he couldn't understand the magnitude of such a decision... such a powerful agreement. Nor could he have known the true face of the fairy... or her dark plot to ensorcel him forever."

----

Eriol paused and observed Sakura's rapt expression for a moment before returning his eyes to the ground.

----
"The boy was lost immediately, the witch's spell stealing away all of his emotions before he'd had the chance to develop them. He immediately regretted his wish, but could do nothing against the spell that chained his heart. He was powerless... and there was nothing that could be done.

Years passed, and the boy met the girl from his dreams. He was on a mission now, from the true source of what were once his nightmares... which he understood now to be his memories. His memories of a past life... of a goal that had to be reached before it was too late.

He dared hope that this meeting would bring about the realization of his wish... but it was not to be, for the little boy had long since lost the heart he'd planned to give to her... and there was another who was more than ready to take his place."

----

Eriol choked on this last sentance, so much regret... he suddenly found it difficult to continue, but Sakura remained oblivious to the story.

"Go on..." she prompted.

He glanced up at her, and called forth all of the power he had... to finish his tale.

-----

"The contract was broken, and the boy was free to feel at last. He relished his emotions, enjoying the feeling of hatred that broke through the chains that held him captive to the witch. He fled her influence, swearing never to allow her such power over him EVER again...

But the witch had other plans... and so many years later, when the boy became a man, she set them into motion.

So many years after the fact, she would grant the wish that had been so long ago forgotten by the man..."

----

"And now all that remains, is the hardest decision he has ever had to make. And he will let another make it for him." Eriol finished, looking at Sakura, his eyes burning with meaning.

Sakura felt his eyes burn into her own. She could see, in her minds eye, the players of his story... himself, herself...

She paused, striken.

"Sakura... I..." Eriol began sorrowfully, begging forgiveness from her expression.

"You... wished..." she stammered.

"I didn't know..." He begged.

Tears broke free from her shimering emerald eyes, ablaze with hatred. The young sorceress stood, fury pounding in her ears.

"YOU!" She bellowed furiously. "You... you killed..." she was shaking "it's all your fault" she marveled "All of it..."

"I'm so sorry..." he bowed his head, his body shaking.

Furious, her eyes narrowed, "Oh yeah... you're SO SORRY!" She screamed angrilly. He flinched.

"You know what I think of you're sorry?" She demanded, smacking him across the face with a righteous fury.

"YOU CAN GO TO HELL! THAT'S what I think of YOU'RE SORRY!" She seethed, then stomped back across the garden, setting fire to everything in her path.

Eriol watched her leave him, in agony. He could feel his own emotions splintering inside him, tearing him apart.

"How about that, she made the right choice after all. Did I mention that you never cease to amaze me?" Fate cackled from beside him.

It was like a miracle. Suddenly, Eriol could not feel at all. A gray numbness spread over his entire body, and he smiled darkly, glancing indifferently now at the path of footprint shaped burn marks that led back into the mansion.

"As I knew she would" he replied, standing beside the beautiful young woman as though he belonged there.

"Let us go then, my love, where she will haunt you no more." Fate sang, and with that, the two of them were gone from the garden.

----

~Rozu